


After the Fall

by TooLateToFall



Series: Shepard & Sheppard [1]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, I would date the hell out of me, Post-Thessia, Shepshep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-20 12:52:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16556102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TooLateToFall/pseuds/TooLateToFall
Summary: Commander John Shepard and his XO Commander Jane Sheppard share a quiet moment after the fall of Thessia.





	After the Fall

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of a project I've been s l o w l y working on for the past few years. My ultimate goal is to have a slow-burn ShepShep fic that spans the entire trilogy and hopefully before and after. In this series, the plan is for m!Shep to be the "main" shepard and to follow the more paragon route while FemShep is his renegade XO.  
> This is just one of the few scenes I have done. It takes place in the events of ME3, directly following priority Thessia.

When she enters the cabin, she finds him hunched over the desk, a mug of untouched coffee sitting at his elbow and a data pad below his cheek. For a moment, she thinks he's asleep, but then he raises his head in acknowledgement, peering at her through darkened, tired eyes. "Hey Jane." The softness, the wear in his voice kills her.

"John. Sorry to wake you." She tries to keep her voice light, but can't quite help the concern that creeps in.

He sits up, turning his gaze back to the data pad, then to his terminal. "No, it's fine. I'm up." He pushes a sluggish hand over his buzzed hair. "I need to finish these reports."

Jane reaches across, takes the data pad from him. "I can do that, you're supposed to be off-duty. Get some rest, Shepard."

"No." It comes out sharp enough Jane actually pauses. John lets out a long exhale, hand massaging his forehead. "No. Thessia was my... My mistake. I'll handle the reports."

They hadn't talked about what had happened on the asari planet just 12 hours ago. He'd touched down with Liara and Javik, expecting a quick retrieval mission, maybe a reaper to kill or two. Jane hadn't gone; she'd gotten a head injury from that fall on Rannoch and Chakwas was keeping her for observation. She'd reviewed his suit cam footage though. All the death, destruction. Armali crumbling around them as the giant machines clouded the sky. She saw the beacon, then she saw Kai Leng steal it away. She saw her teammates almost die, and the planet fall. Thessia. Gone.

She edges forward to perch on the desk, setting the data pad aside. "I know you're sick of hearing this," he turns away at the uncharacteristic softness of her voice, "but it isn't your fault. You're one man, this isn't all on you." Her hand grazes his cheek, forcing his eyes back to her's. "You're not alone in this."

His lips press lightly against her palm, then he pulls away, gets to his feet. "I know. It's just still raw."

She hates this, hates that she wasn't there, that he has to go through this, that everyone is depending on him, everyone in the whole damn Galaxy. If they'd just gotten their heads out of their asses after the whole Saren thing, they could have been ready. Or maybe if she'd been able to go to Thessia with them, she could have-

Jane sighs. "You should get some rest. The report can wait a few hours." John starts to flounder, mouth opening to protest, so she grabs his hands, pulls him towards her as she moves down the cabin's steps "I can handle things." She pauses as they reach the foot of the bed, hand reaching up to brush the bags beneath his eyes. "Please."

The concern and vulnerability in her voice is jarring- She's _actually worried_ \- and at last he relents with a nod. As he lies down, John throws Jane a half-hearted smirk. "Are you going soft on me, Red?"

She rolls her eyes but can't quite muster up the sass for a snarky comment, not right now. Her omnitool beeps with an alert; Hackett's on the comm downstairs. Already the gears are spinning her head- they still have so far to go.

Despite herself, indulges in a brief pause in the doorway of the cabin and glances back at her sleepy partner.  _He's okay,_  she reminds herself as he gives her a half-smile, eyes already closing.

_He's okay._

They’re going to be okay. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed. I know this isn't a popular pairing (at all), so if this is something you'd be interested in seeing more of or if you have any constructive feedback please let me know!


End file.
